Passengers have started to re-enter Luton Airport after a major fire resulted in the suspension of all flights until this afternoon.
Travellers are beginning to enter the terminal with planes expected to take off and land from 3pm following the partial collapse of a multi-storey car park on Tuesday night.
More than 100 firefighters were scrambled to the airport after a diesel car caught fire and spread to other vehicles, causing a “significant structural collapse” in the building.
In a statement issued two hours before the first planes are expected to depart, Luton Airport said emergency services will remain at the scene as a precaution.
It said: “The teams have worked hard to get the airport operational, with the first passengers now re-entering the terminal and the first flights expected to depart from 3pm.
“For those arriving by car, the long and mid-stay car parks are fully operational, and a temporary drop-off area has been established in the mid-stay car park.”
One airport worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said the fire was going to “majorly” impact services in the coming days.
Follow the latest developments below.
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11 October 2023 • 2:38pm
2:38PM
Strike action cancelled after Luton Airport fire
A planned strike by cleaners and parking attendants at Luton Airport has been suspended because of the fire which has halted flights.
Members of Unite employed by a cleaning contractor were due walk out for five days from Saturday, while parking attendants were due to strike for a week from Friday.
Tens of thousands of airline passengers suffered disruption on Wednesday, with Luton Airport closed after a vehicle fire caused a car park to collapse.
2:13PM
Car park may need to be totally demolished – report
A senior fire officer has reportedly said the car park at Luton Airport may need to be totally demolished with more than 1,000 vehicles still parked inside it.
According to Simon Calder, the Independent’s Travel Correspondent, the intense heat has weakened the steel inside the multi-storey building to the point it may be deemed too dangerous to recover undamaged cars.
Mr Calder tweeted: “Luton: senior fire officer tells me the whole car park may need to be demolished – with more than 1,000 vehicles still inside – because the intense heat has made the steel brittle.
“Recovering cars, even those that are undamaged, may be deemed to dangerous.”
2:09PM
Association of British Insurers – Too early to estimate insurance costs
In a statement on the Luton Airport car park fire, a spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said:
“Owners of vehicles caught up in this fire will naturally be very concerned.
“Comprehensive and third-party fire and theft motor insurance policies will cover fire damage.
“Drivers affected should notify any claim to their motor insurer. We will continue to work with our members and Luton Airport to understand the situation, as and when more information becomes available.
“It is too early to estimate the insured cost of the fire.
“Travellers caught up in the disruption following the fire should check the position with their air carrier or travel operator.
“Some travel polices may offer limited cover for delays or any abandonment of travel.”
1:23PM
Luton Airport – Flights expected to resume at 3pm
The airport said in a statement:
Following last night’s car fire in Terminal Car Park 2, emergency services have now downgraded the incident but remain on the scene as a precaution.
The teams have worked hard to get the airport operational, with the first passengers now re-entering the terminal and the first flights expected to depart from 3pm.
For those arriving by car, the long and mid-stay car parks are fully operational, and a temporary drop-off area has been established in the mid-stay car park.
For those travelling to the airport by rail, the Dart shuttle remains out of service with replacement buses in operation.
Additional staff remain on hand to assist passengers across the airport.
1:05PM
Airport staff – Services will be ‘majorly’ impacted in coming days
Stranded travellers have taken to sleeping in chairs and on the floor of Luton airport where all flights are currently suspended, reports Michael Murphy.
One airport worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said the fire was going to “majorly” impact services in the coming days.
Some passengers have complained that some airlines do not have a customer service desk to ask for information about their situations.
12:34PM
Travel expert – Luton Airport passengers unlikely to receive compensation
Stranded passengers who have seen flights cancelled as a result of the Luton Airport fire will not receive compensation, a travel expert has warned, reports Jack Simpson, the Telegraph’s Transport Correspondent.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, said that while airlines would refund passengers for missed flights, there would not be any additional compensation because the incident was out of the airlines control.
The comments come after a huge blaze at Luton Airport last night caused travel chaos, with flights suspended until at least 3pm today.
It is estimated that this will result in the cancellation of around 140 flights, affecting more than 25,000 passengers.
Ms Bue-Said, whose body represents travel agents, said: “Passengers have the right to a refund and or to be rebooked – airline has a duty to ensure passengers are booked on alternative flights even if this means with a different carrier – from any other airport if they cant get them out or into Luton.
“All subject to availability. They will also be able to claim back reasonable out of pocket expenses as a consequence of not being able to travel – overnight hotel, train tickets to alternative airport etc.
“No compensation will be due as this will be seen as an exceptional (out of the airlines control) circumstance.”
Under aviation regulations passengers can claim compensation for a cancelled flight if the replacement flight delays your arrival by two hours or your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure.
For shorter haul flights, passengers can usually receive under £220, with compensation for some long haul flights hitting more than £500.
However, crucially this has to be a delay that is the responsibility of the airline, which the fire at Luton was not.
12:18PM
Driver – ‘We heard several explosions of what sounded like fuel tanks’
Chris Meacey’s van is stuck at the airport
Credit: JOHN ROBERTSON FOR THE TELEGRAPH
A van driver whose vehicle is stuck in a car park at Luton Airport has told how he saw flames and explosions when he arrived at the terminal, Michael Murphy reports.
Chris Meacey, 57, a former policeman and soldier, said he heard “several explosions” and “crashing noises” by Luton airport car park in the early hours of this morning.
Mr Meacey, who now works for a washing machine firm, parked his van there yesterday afternoon, on level one, two floors below where the fire started.
“I woke up at 2.15am, went down to reception and they informed us of the fire,” he said.
“We made our way up and there we saw flames and we heard several explosions of what sounded like fuel tanks.
“Then we heard crashing noises, which I can only assume were the floors [of the car park] for levels two and three. Emergency services arrived and as daylight came through I went and had a closer look at our bit, which wasn’t touched.
“But where my van is, there’s no floor in front of it. So I will probably be waiting two to four weeks before they can get it out. As for compensation, I won’t know anything until I get an email or a call from the owners of that structure.”
Mr Meacey said he was told that three quarters of the car park “had collapsed and had been damaged, and around 1200 vehicles had been lost,” during a briefing with the Bedfordshire fire chief this morning.
12:02PM
Further cancellations and delays ‘inevitable’ over the next 24 hours
Greg Dickinson on the Telegraph’s travel desk explains what will happen once Luton Airport reopens.
The Luton Airport website says that flights will resume from 3pm this afternoon. But if you are due to fly from Luton later this afternoon or this evening, you could still face delays or your flight could be cancelled.
The next 24 hours will be a logistical challenge for airlines, airport staff and air traffic control, as dozens of planes have been diverted to land at other airports, as far away as Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff. Many more aircraft are on runways overseas waiting to be given the green light to take off.
So even once the airport gets all its staff back in the building and operations commence, further cancellations and delays are sadly inevitable.
11:57AM
In pictures: Passengers wait at Luton Airport
Passengers have been pictured inside Luton Airport as they await for flights to resume following a major fire in a car park on Tuesday night.
Passengers wait inside the airport terminal
Credit: John Robertson
Departure boards show scale of disruption
Credit: John Robertson
Passengers walk along a pathway following a fire at a multi-storey car park at Luton Airport
Credit: John Robertson
11:25AM
Family slept on airport floor after flight home cancelled
A Polish family who came on holiday to London have told how they slept on the floor at Luton Airport after a fire at a multi-storey car park caused flight cancellations.
Gregorz Szmit, 46, said their flight to Gdansk should have departed at 9.50pm on Tuesday and is now scheduled to leave at 7.30pm on Wednesday.
Mr Szmit, speaking from the terminal building where he is waiting with his wife and their two sons aged seven and 15, said: “We were on holiday for five days to visit London – British Museum, Trafalgar Square.
“This is difficult, I must say. This is our first journey to England, to London.
“It’s been an adventure.”
11:09AM
AA – ‘Intense pressure’ for diesel to ignite
AA technical expert Greg Carter said the most common cause of car fires is an electrical fault with the 12-volt battery system.
He added that diesel is “much less flammable” than petrol, and in a car it takes “intense pressure or sustained flame” to ignite diesel.
10:52AM
Video: Major fire at Luton Airport
10:40AM
Stranded passengers left confused and upset
Passengers lift their luggage past fire trucks at Luton Airport
Passengers who arrived at Luton Airport on Wednesday say they are confused and frustrated.
Travellers, some with small children, dragged luggage up and down the road to the airport, unsure of what to do while returning holidaymakers were diverted as far away as Liverpool.
Rebecca Fancourt and her daughter Jane Knight, from Lincolnshire, were booked on a flight to Turkey at 12.30pm. Despite checking online and calling Tui they are unsure as to what is happening and whether their holiday will still go ahead.
They said: “We have been told flights are still going ahead and have had to have been driven here from Lincolnshire because there is no certainty around parking.
“We have spent all night trying to figure out what to do and it has been impossible to get details. “We are very frustrated by the situation.”
A returning holidaymaker, who did not want to be named, said: “We landed last night. Came through the terminal all fine and thought ‘brilliant – two hours drive and we’ll be home’. Then we saw all the flames and smoke and were ushered away. My car is stuck in car park one.
“We had to stay at the Holiday Inn and now we are waiting for my son to come and pick us up. No idea if our car is okay or when we can get it.”
Another Albanian woman with a toddler said: “We were diverted to Liverpool last night. We were given a taxi ride to Luton where our car is parked. My husband is trying to get our car out. We don’t know which car park it is in.
“After that we have to get back to our home in Birmingham.”
10:29AM
Wizz Air working to ‘minimise disruption’
Wizz Air, Luton Airport’s biggest airline, has issued a statement this morning in which it said it will do what it can to minimise disruption for passengers.
Due to the unexpected fire at London Luton Airport multi-story car park, all flights are suspended until the afternoon of 11th October.
All affected passengers who booked directly through Wizz Air will be contacted and provided updates via email and SMS.
Customers who booked through a third-party should contact them for further information.
Though the situation is beyond our control, Wizz Air apologises for any inconvenience caused and is doing everything in its power to minimise disruption.
10:25AM
Fire chief – Substantial number of cars not damaged
The multi-storey car park partially collapsed
Mr Hopkinson said a ramp is being installed to remove vehicles from the car park as the normal exit route is unsafe.
He said: “We’ve currently got four fire appliances and a couple of other specialist crews but we are very much focused on getting a handover and getting this airport open as quickly as we can.”
He said there are “just shy of 1,500” vehicles in the affected car park.
He added: “There is a substantial number that are not damaged and our focus as well is can we remove those vehicles safely without causing any danger to the responders.”
10:21AM
Fire chief – car park had no sprinklers
Mr Hopkinson added there were no sprinklers in the car park at Luton Airport.
He told reporters at the scene: “We are already talking to the airport about ensuring that any future, and the existing, car parks have sprinklers fitted because this building is not sprinkler protected.
“Sprinklers may have made a positive impact on this incident.”
10:19AM
Fire chief – Nothing to suggest fire is suspicious
Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said there were no early indications to suggest the fire was suspicious
He said: “We have no intelligence at this stage to suggest that this was anything other than an accidental fire that started in one of the vehicles that had not long arrived at the airport.
“It was not an EV. This was a diesel powered vehicle.”
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the operation had now been scaled back and was no longer a major incident. It said an investigation into the cause of the fire will start once safe to do so.
10:14AM
EasyJet cancels 35 flights so far
EasyJet, which is Luton Airport’s second biggest carrier, has so far cancelled 35 flights today as a result of a major fire in a terminal car park on Tuesday night.
A spokesperson said:
Due to the ongoing closure of Luton airport our flights from Luton are currently unable to operate as planned.
We are doing all possible to minimise the impact on our customers, providing those on cancelled flights with options to rebook or receive a refund, as well as providing hotel accommodation and meals where required.
We advise all passengers due to fly with us from Luton to check the status of their flights on Flight Tracker at www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker for real-time information.
The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.
10:11AM
My flight has been cancelled: what happens next?
If your flight from Luton Airport has been cancelled today, you are entitled to either be placed on an alternative flight or receive a full refund, writes Greg Dickinson on the Telegraph’s travel desk.
You should already have been contacted by your airline this morning. If not, phone their customer service line or check their website and social media channels for updates.
If you opt for a replacement flight, there are a few ways this will play out. The travel trade body, ABTA, says: “If you choose the replacement flight, often referred to as being ‘rerouted’, most airlines will book you on another of their flights to the same destination. However, if an alternative airline is flying there significantly sooner then you may have the right to be booked on to that flight instead.”
If you opt for a refund, then you will get your money back for all parts of the ticket that you haven’t used. So if your outbound flight is cancelled because of the Luton Airport fire, you can claim on the return leg too.
Note that, because the temporary closure of Luton Airport is due to a fire, and therefore out of the control of the airlines that operate from the airport, you will not be entitled to additional compensation beyond a possible refund.
10:04AM
Fire likely started ‘in diesel car’
The BBC is reporting that the fire that broke out in a multi-storey car park at Luton Airport likely started in a diesel car.
The corporation has spoken to Bedfordshire fire chief Andy Hopkinson.
9:51AM
Firefighters to remain at airport throughout Wednesday
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service say firefighters are likely to remain at Luton airport throughout Wednesday as they monitor “smoldering remains” at a terminal car park.
In an update issued at 9am, it said:
Crews have worked extremely hard throughout the night and into the early morning to control and extinguish the fire.
Firefighting operations are monitoring the smoldering remains and will continue throughout the day.
Currently four crews and an aerial appliance remain at the scene, and crews are working in conjunction with the airport fire service.
All flights are suspended until 3pm. If you have a flight leaving before 3pm, please do not travel to the airport.
Please avoid the area owing to severe traffic delays.
9:47AM
Telegraph Travel Correspondent – A frustrating day, but others will be much worse affected
The Telegraph’s Travel Correspondent Chris Leadbeater is caught up in the chaos.
Here is what he’s had to say
I’ve had more pleasant alarm calls than the 6am text which told me my flight had been cancelled. An annoying development in ordinary circumstances; a little trickier when you are in Poprad in northern Slovakia, and there are only two flights to London a week.
Only once I’d absorbed this first piece of bad news did I learn the second. That there has been a major fire at Luton Airport, and all flights are off until at least 3pm, not just mine.
I have been in Poprad to research a piece on what is one of Europe’s more obscure cities. Thankfully, it isn’t so obscure that it isn’t a stop on the main east-west railway line across Slovakia. I am typing this from a five-hour international train, heading south-west to Vienna. The cost of the journey? A princely 29 euros.
Once I get to the Austrian capital, I will pick up a flight to London. A frustrating day, but others will be much worse affected.
That said, I do have to work out how I retrieve my car from Luton…
9:44AM
Luton airport – Working hard to get airport operational
Luton airport has posted a further update in which it says it is working hard to become operational as soon as possible.
All flights to and from Luton remain suspended until 3pm.
9:40AM
In pictures: Damage to car park engulfed in flames
Photographs have emerged this morning of the damage to the airport car park where a major fire broke out on Tuesday night.
A major incident was declared as flames ripped through the multi-storey building which partially collapsed as a result.
A charred section of a parking structure is seen after it caught fire and partially collapsed
Firemen battle a blaze at Luton Airport
The airport has been closed with flights suspended until 3pm on Wednesday
9:30AM
Passenger – ‘When we got here, we found out Luton is burning’
Passengers have described how they arrived to the airport on Wednesday only to discover “Luton is burning”.
Eight Polish passengers have been stranded for nine hours after their early morning flight was cancelled.
Access to the Airport from the Luton Direct Air-Rail Transit has been closed, leaving passengers stuck at Luton Airport Parkway station.
One passenger is exercising at the station while his flight has been delayed for a “couple of hours”.
Nikodem Lesiak, 18, said he and seven other Polish university students are “tired” as they have been stranded since 12 am after their 7:50 am flight to Krakow, Poland, was cancelled. The students have been in the UK for holiday for five days.
He told the PA news agency: “We are tired, and we have spent the whole night here. We need to get to Poland as fast as possible.
“When we got here, we found out Luton is burning and everything is closed, and we were supposed to have our flight at 7:50 today but it was cancelled. We found another ticket to Poland from another city and then we have to take a coach to the city we live in.”
9:27AM
In pictures: Major fire at Luton airport
These pictures show the major fire which caused flights to and from Luton airport to be suspended on Tuesday night.
The blaze, which caused a terminal car park to partially collapse, was declared a major incident. The airport has said flights will be suspended until 3pm on Wednesday.
9:23AM
25,000 passengers affected by Luton fire – analysis
PA news agency analysis of flight data websites found at least 140 flights due to take off or land at Luton Airport have been cancelled since the fire started.
A further 17 arrivals were diverted to airports including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Gatwick, Liverpool John Lennon, Manchester and Stansted.
That means around 25,000 passengers have been affected.
The worst affected airlines were Wizz Air and easyJet, which operate the most flights at Luton Airport.
9:20AM
Luton Airport website is down
Luton airport’s website is currently down as a result of high traffic.
Visitors are being told they face a wait of up to six minutes before accessing the website.
A message reads: “We are experiencing a high volume of traffic and using a virtual queue to limit the amount of users on the website at the same time. This will ensure you have the best possible online experience.”
9:04AM
Fire extinguished at Luton airport
Crews have controlled and extinguished the fire at Luton Airport. Four crews and an aerial appliance remain at the scene. All flights are suspended until 3pm. If you have a flight leaving before 3pm, please do not travel. Please avoid the area owing to severe traffic delays. pic.twitter.com/ji5HR1Qmug
— Beds Fire and Rescue (@BedsFire) October 11, 2023
9:03AM
Recap: All flights suspended at Luton Airport after huge fire rips through car park
All flights to and from Luton Airport have been suspended until 3pm after a major fire caused a multi-story car park to partially collapse.
Up to 1,500 cars were affected as flames ripped through the third floor of the airport’s newly built Terminal Car Park 2.
A major incident was declared after a blaze broke out at around 9pm on Tuesday, as all flights were suspended and some planes diverted to other airports.
Five people, including four firefighters, were admitted to hospitals in Luton and Dunstable for smoke inhalation. Another patient was discharged at the scene.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue said the car park had suffered a “significant structural collapse” as more than 100 firefighters tackled the flames.
Read more here.
9:00AM
Chief fire officer – My officers faced severe and rapidly spreading fire
Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said more than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at Luton Airport.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, he said: “Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s fire control received an initial 999 call at 8.47pm yesterday evening, reporting a car on fire on the third floor of the Terminal car park two behind me here at London Luton Airport.
“Our first two fire appliances arrived on scene just a shade under 10 minutes later to work alongside firefighters from Luton Airport Fire Service.
“On arrival my officers were faced with a severe and rapidly spreading fire involving a large number of vehicles that ultimately spread to multiple floors and involved a partial collapse of the car park.
“The incident was declared a major incident at 9.38pm. The car park has a capacity of just over 1,900 cars and we estimate up to 1,500 cars are in the affected car park.
“At its peak we had 15 fire appliances, over 100 firefighters and a number of specialist resources including the one you will see over my right-hand shoulder, with resources provided by neighbouring fire and rescue services.”
8:57AM
Good morning
The Telegraph will be providing live updates on a major fire in a car park at Luton airport which has seen all fights suspended until 3pm.
A major incident was declared after a blaze broke out at around 9pm on Tuesday.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue said the car park had suffered a “significant structural collapse” as more than a hundred firefighters tackled the flames.
Five people, including four firefighters, were admitted to hospitals in Luton and Dunstable for smoke inhalation. Another patient was discharged at the scene.
>>> Read full article>>>
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